January 27 2011, 16:15 Fruit-Inform

Potato imports record-breaking in Russia

According to information of Fruit-Inform Project, potato imports are record-breaking in Russia in the current season due to extreme climate conditions of 2010 that led to sharp decrease of potato yields in the country and crop losses.

Imports for the second half of the calendar year 2010 (the first half of the season 2010/11) were 5.2 times more than a season before and 5 times more than previous record-breaking imports for this period registered in 2008. Imports for one month (December 2010) were also strikingly record-breaking, as they reached 134,000 tonnes and would be very difficult to be beaten in future.

Potato imports increased primarily due to growth of supplies from EU that led to higher prices for potatoes in Europe. Besides this, Russia considerably increased potato imports from Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. However the situation may radically change already in the new season.

What prices for potatoes will Russia and Ukraine have in the new season? How will potato production change, and what will be going on with the external trade? These and many other questions will be discussed by leading business experts during work of the third international conference “Potato and Vegetables of Ukraine-2011”.

This event will take place at Shuvar wholesale market, Lvov, Ukraine, February 24-25, 2011, and gather leading potato and vegetable producers of Ukraine, as well as wholesale trade representatives, suppliers of seeds, material and technical resources, machinery and equipment for potato growing, storage, and post harvest handling.

Also the conference will include the presentation of Ukrainian Potato Association (Potato Club) and broadened training for potato producers on questions of potato growing and storage technologies. On-line registration for participation in the event is available through this link.